Broadbridge Heath second best against Newhaven

Broadbridge Heath manager Steve Painter. Picture by Jon Rigby

The game kicked into high gear when after one minute Andy Waddingham robbed a Newhaven defender and was clean in on goal but the shot was well saved by the keeper.

However, when Heath were slow to close down and play was switched to the Newhaven left flank Alfie Jones, couldn’t stop the cross and the header from an unmarked home player was tipped onto the bar by Alfie Hadfield only to rebound into the net off Josh Tuck.

Coming out of the second half the Bears were still second best as Hadfield was forced into some good saves to keep the Bears in the game.

But he had no chance on 66 minutes. Lukas Franzen-Jones was allowed to break clear of the Bears defence to smash the ball past Hadfield to give the hosts a 2-0 lead

Austin Okolo and Michael Howard-Bold came on and nearly had the desired impact as Heath started to push the home side back

Howard-Bold put in Jamie Taylor but the experienced marksman could only hit the side netting and Okolo had a thundering header cleared off the line.

Heath host Eastbourne United on Saturday.

Broadbridge Heath: Hadfield, Jones, Robinson, Carney, Tuck, Waddingham, T Howard-Bold, Godfrey. Cousins, Taylor (Okolo 77), Watts (M Howard-Bold 57). Unused: Howell, Cook, Weller.